Depression...

I'm writing this post for a good friend of mine, for everyone who reads this and most of all myself. A couple years ago I was diagnosed with clinical depression, I had progressively gotten to a point where little things would overwhelm me and going through the paces of life gave me no satisfaction. I even lost interest in the things I enjoyed most.

I had a discussion with my friend last night about what it is to be depressed. He was struggling to understand what I was going through and how my thought patterns worked. It is hard for someone outside to understand how you feel when your depressed. So I researched a bit and found some information on the topic.

Firstly, before I go into that. You have to realise that a depressed person doesn't one day decide to be depressed. It's not like an epiphany that your depression suddenly dawned on you. It's a slow progressive spiral into the darkest place you've ever known.

"We all go through ups and downs in our mood. Sadness is a normal reaction to life’s struggles, setbacks, and disappointments. Many people use the word “depression” to explain these kinds of feelings, but depression is much more than just sadness"

"Depression is a loaded word in our culture. Many associate it, however wrongly, with a sign of weakness and excessive emotion. This is especially true with men. Depressed men are less likely than women to acknowledge feelings of self-loathing and hopelessness. Instead, they tend to complain about fatigue, irritability, sleep problems, and loss of interest in work and hobbies. Other signs and symptoms of depression in men include anger, aggression, violence, reckless behavior, and substance abuse. Even though depression rates for women are twice as high as those in men, men are a higher suicide risk, especially older men."

I explained it to my friend like this, I feel the way I do and don't know why I feel the way I do. I don't have one reason for feeling this way. There's an overhwelming sorrow and sadness that I have no control over. And with every new thing that upsets me, all the past thoughts and emotions flood out.

Depression isn't something that you need to take the blame for, you shouldn't have to take the blame for how you feel. There are chemical reactions and processes happening in your brain that you have no control over.

The pressure and expectation that people place on a depressed person just compounds what you are experiencing. You feel guilty for feeling the way you do and because people expect you not to feel that way. They expect you to be this strong man, when in fact you're not. And it's not your fault.

What we need is support and comfort from the people around us.